Mortgage rates drop to lowest level in nearly 3 years as Trump orders buying of $200 billion in mortgage bonds

Mortgage rates drop to lowest level in nearly 3 years as Trump orders buying of 0 billion in mortgage bonds

Mortgage rates fell sharply on Friday, a day after President Donald Trump said on social media that he is instructing mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds. “This will drive Mortgage Rates DOWN, monthly payments DOWN, and make the cost of owning a home more affordable,” he said … Read more

Trump instructs ‘representatives’ to buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds, aiming to lower rates

Trump instructs ‘representatives’ to buy 0 billion in mortgage bonds, aiming to lower rates

US President Donald Trump speaks during a bill signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. Francis Chung | Politico | Bloomberg | Getty Images President Donald Trump on Thursday said he is “instructing my Representatives” to buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds, claiming … Read more

Home prices are getting slightly more affordable, but down payments are still holding buyers back

Home prices are getting slightly more affordable, but down payments are still holding buyers back

Mortgage rates are lower, home prices are easing, and there is more supply on the market for sale. All of that adds up to improved affordability for today’s homebuyers. Saving for a down payment, however, is still the biggest hurdle for first-time buyers. Prices nationally are basically flat compared with where they were a year … Read more

3 positive signals for Home Depot — and its shareholders — heading into 2026

3 positive signals for Home Depot — and its shareholders — heading into 2026

The stars look like they’re finally aligning in 2026 for Home Depot — one of seven out-of-favor portfolio stocks that Jim Cramer has called a buy. Although shares are down nearly 11% year-to-date, three recent developments point toward a recovery for the home improvement retailer. 1. November’s cooler-than-expected consumer price index (CPI) is helping the … Read more

What the Christmas movie ‘Elf’ can teach us about today’s cost of living

What the Christmas movie ‘Elf’ can teach us about today’s cost of living

Bob Newhart and Will Ferrell star in “Elf.” Warner Bros. In the 2003 movie “Elf,” the lead character Buddy discovers he is human, though he has spent his life raised by elves. He travels to New York City to find his real family, including his father who shares an Upper West Side apartment with his … Read more

November home sales struggle as supply stalls

November home sales struggle as supply stalls

High home prices, stubbornly high mortgage rates and now less supply are all weighing on potential homebuyers. Sales of previously owned homes rose just 0.5% in November from October and were 1% lower than November 2024, according to the National Association of Realtors. Sales came in at an annualized rate of 4.13 million units. This … Read more

Homeowners are losing thousands in equity thanks to weakening prices

Homeowners are losing thousands in equity thanks to weakening prices

A tract of new tightly packed homes are viewed along the Boulder City Parkway on January 11, 2022 in Henderson, Nevada. George Rose | Getty Images Home values have been losing ground for much of this year, with previously huge annual gains shrinking to nothing. The result is that homeowners are losing equity. Borrower equity … Read more

Home prices go negative for the first time in over 2 years — and may stay that way for a while

Home prices go negative for the first time in over 2 years — and may stay that way for a while

A home is shown for sale in The Heights in Houston, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. Kirk Sides | Houston Chronicle | Getty Images Home prices have finally come down compared with last year, though just fractionally, according to daily reads from Parcl Labs, which looks at high-frequency listing data on single-family homes, condos and townhomes, … Read more

Refinance demand for FHA loans jumps 24%, as homeowners seek the most savings they can

Refinance demand for FHA loans jumps 24%, as homeowners seek the most savings they can

Manusapon Kasosod | Moment | Getty Images Current homeowners are looking for any savings they can get, and with mortgage rates on conventional loans not moving much, that isn’t easy. Loans from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which require mortgage insurance, however, are providing an outlet. Total applications to refinance a home loan rose 14% … Read more

Home sellers are giving up at ‘unusually high rate,’ says new Realtor report

Home sellers are giving up at ‘unusually high rate,’ says new Realtor report

Homes in Hercules, California, US, on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Late fall tends to be the time when the most homes come off the market, as so-far unsuccessful sellers would rather not sit through the slowest winter months. In October, however, delistings, which are reported with a … Read more